Last night I performed at the Holiday party for the Emerald City Band Organization. This group consists of four or five party bands including the phenomenal Emerald City Band. They have been rocking the corporate and club scene for 30 years and are as fresh and energetic as when they started.

Dino, their spiritual and musical leader is a force to be reckoned with. And Dino and I have a very similar background. Both the sons of Italian immigrants, both born and raised in big cities in the northeast, both born the same year (one month apart), and both in the business a long, long time.

But one of the best things about the organization is that they operate more like a family than a corporation. Dino, Doug, Jim and the rest of the group pour their hearts and souls into what they do, and it has certainly paid off. They are truly the premiere party band on the corporate scene and when it comes to making sure their audience has a great time, they won't take no for an answer.

I applaud them for their musical prowess, powerful energy on stage and family feel offstage, and hold them up as the model for up and coming bands.